Authoress Note: I'd like to mention again that this story is part of a challenge from the "Need Some Help?" forum and I hope some of the other talented people on this site will give it a shot because I'd really love to see what you all come up with.
Warning: Anything clearly horribly misspelled was done on purpose for sound reasons. If it doesn't make sense say it out loud.
Chapter Three "I Never Sang For My Legal Guardian"
Raaaaahhhhxaaaane! You don't have to put out that red light!" the four belted as they meandered along the path. After the rum had been passed around a few times it had been easy for Shawn and Topanga to talk Cory and Minkus into heading down to the pond. Minkus had put the wine, rum, and scotch into his back pack, and Cory, a little unsteadily, had shoved the park map in as well despite Shawn and Topanga's insistence that they knew their way around.
"Walk the streets for money! You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right!" they sang.
"I love this song," Cory laughed.
"Me too," Topanga sighed, "Do you know what it always makes me think of?"
"What?" Cory grinned.
"When we came to visit you after you got your appendix taken out," Topanga giggled.
"Oh, yeah," Minkus laughed, "and you were only singing every other line-"
"Because you thought you were singing a duet with King Louis," Shawn finished.
"I don't remember that," Cory said shaking his head.
"Doesn't surprise me babe, you were on a lot of painkillers," Topanga told him turning back to face him and patting his cheek softly.
"Raaahhhxaaaane!" Minkus started the song up again, waving the arm that wasn't wrapped around Topanga. His hand rested just below the waist band of what he thought of as her "Topanga jeans". They used to belong to Chloe and Topanga had worn them at least once a week since they had been given to her freshman year. They were old, and patched all over (every patch a different fabric) with little bits of embroidery from both Chloe and Topanga along the pockets and waistband. Minkus wondered if he was holding her a little tighter than absolutely necessary and then imagined how if his hand were to slide up on her hip just a little it would slip under the light green gauze of her shirt and onto her stomach. He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to think about the pain instead.
"You don't have to wear that dress tonight!" Topanga belted.
The path forked and Shawn steered Cory down the left path as they both cried, "Raahhxaaane! You don't have to sell your body to the night!"
"Hey, boys!" Topanga called, "You're going the wrong way." Cory and Shawn spun around to face her.
"My dear, sweet Topanga," Shawn started, "I've taken many a young lady to a romantic moonlit picnic by the gen'ly lapping water of this pond, and I'm sure I'm going the right way." Shawn got poetic when he was drinking.
"Trust me," Topanga said, Cory could see her smile even in the dark, "It's this way."
"She's proll- probaly-" Cory stuttered, "Let's jus' follow her Shawn."
"Fine. I guess we can always turn back."
Cory and Shawn walked over to Minkus and Topanga, Cory threw his other arm over Minkus's shoulders and the four of them walked together.
"What I always think of when I hear that song, is that dance at Hamilton High, in like, freshman year? Remember?" asked Cory
"Oh yeah, when we all pretended to be foreign exchange students, and the girl at the front let us all in because she thought Shawn was hot with his Italian accent," Topanga said.
"Even with those awful bangs," Minkus snorted.
"Hey, shut up. They weren't bangs," Shawn snapped, "And you're one to talk, your hair covers half of your face."
"I should pretend to be French more often," Topanga sighed, "That was fun."
"Yeah. It's amazing what an accent will do for you, " Minkus said, "I danced with more way more girls as a Brit than I would've as an American."
"Kay, up this hill you guys," Topanga said pulling the line after her. From the top a decently sized man-made pond spread out below them, "Viola!" she exclaimed sticking her tongue out at Shawn.
Topanga pulled her shoes off as soon as she hit the sand, ran to the shoreline, rolled up the legs of her jeans and splashed her feet down into the water. All three boys followed her example.
Unlike along the paths, there were no street lamps by the pond and without their slightly toxic orange glow the water was inky black. The peaks of the little ripples sliding along in the breeze were white in the full moon.
Minkus pulled the rum out of his back pack, "To Sting, and The Police," he toasted taking a pull at the bottle and passing it down.
"I love nights like this, " Topanga said after she too had toasted Sting and The Police, "When the moonlight is so bright you can actually see colors. It's so beautiful. We should all come down here sometime when Stewart and I are back in town."
"When is your first break?" Cory asked resting his weight on his arms spread behind him, one arm behind Topanga, not quite touching her and the other behind Shawn who was hunched forward, his fingers playing on the surface of the pond.
"November," Minkus answered, "Like a four day weekend."
"Well, it'll be too cold to come up here in November," Cory lamented.
"Not if you have someone to keep you warm," Shawn and Topanga said in unison. They both laughed.
"Who were you up here with?" Cory inquired. He was just curious.
"Drew Ainsel and Jeff Klinghoff," She answered with a nostalgic smile.
"Whoa, Whoa, wait-" Minkus cried, "At the same time?"
Topanga snorted, "Stewart!" she laughed, "Two different Novembers."
"You brought Debbie up here didn't you Shawn?" Cory smirked.
"Yeah, yeah I did."
"I don't remember Debbie," Minkus said, "Forgive me I can't keep track of the masses of girls that you've been through."
"Debbie," Shawn sighed, "Was the girl that so aptly framed Cory's little gender investigation piece junior year. The girl that gave us the idea for Chick Like Me. "
"God, you two at Chubbies that night was one of the top moments of my whole entire life," Minkus guffawed.
"Ahh, you would be laughing much harder if you'd heard the whole story, which now that we are all long graduated I will tell you. So I thought that Debbie liked me because she knew about the article and how I understood the girl's side of dating and wouldn't pressure her right?"
"Sure," Topanga said, "That makes sense."
"It makes sense, but is not the whole story," Cory, who of course, Shawn had already told, giggled.
"Hey, I'm telling the story," Shawn scolded, "Anyway, it turns out that she wasn't actually into the 'sensitive guy thing'. We'd been dating for a couple weeks when she invited me over to her parents house. And before she would make out with me she put me in blush and lipstick. She thought the cross-dressing was a turn on."
Topanga and Minkus laughed.
"And you let her put you in make up?" Minkus demanded.
"Hey man," Shawn replied, "Do you remember Debbie Kowalski? She was smart, and funny and interesting and completely, utterly beautiful. So what if she was a little eccentric? It isn't exactly normal for a straight guy to go to school in drag, pick up a hockey player and go on a date with him."
"Plus as I remember Shawn looked damn good in a little rouge and lipstick," Topanga smirked.
"Debbie thought so too," Shawn continued, "So we've been dating for a like a month and a half, and she calls me one night and she wants to find somewhere to be alone for the night. It had been pretty mild so far for early November so Topanga suggests Franklin Campgrounds and lends me 'er tent. And you know, I'm surprised that Debbie's moving so fast, but not opposed to it, and I want to have this special night for her, so I pack Francesca full of blankets, and I go and buy a bundle of firewood, I borrow all of your thermoses and fill them with hot cocoa and soup and the two of us head out here. We set up the tent, wrap up together in one of the quilts, and drink hot cocoa," Cory, Topanga and Minkus could hear the slight slur in Shawn's voice. He was definitely buzzing by this point.
"That's really sweet actually," Topanga said.
"And then," Shawn continued in the unmistakable tone of someone getting to the good part, "She opens up her back pack and takes out lit'rally a handful of condoms, her whole make up kit, a wig, and this strappy back red dress that she apparently wore to her grandparents 50th wedding anniversary! She wanned me to dress up like Veronica and make love to her,"
"What did you do!" Minkus demanded, "You didn't do it? Don't tell me you did it!"
"I look around at all this make up, and this shimmering dress, and this trampled wig and her pouty, anxious face, and I say- Look Debbie, I like you a lot, you're an awesome girl, but it is way too cold for this dress, the wig is a mess, this blush is so not my color, the condoms aren't lubricated and THIS IS FREAKIN' WEIRD! Maybe we should just get some sleep and never talk about this again. And she took half the blankets and I took the other half and we went to sleep on separate sides and I drove her home the next morning and we haven't said so much as "hello" ever since. But I heard pretty reliably through the grapevine that she is now dating Lilly Anderson, who I must say, bears a striking resemblance to Veronica Wasboyski."
"I can not believe that you did not tell us that story two years ago," Minkus gasped between guffaws.
"Well you know how rumor spreads. I figured if I said anything about it it would just rebound on me you know."
"Like everyone would know you let her put make up on you?" Cory asked.
"Pretty much, yeah."
Topanga raised the bottle of rum "To Lilly Anderson an' Debbie Kowalski and many happy years!" They all drank to that.
"You know what?" Shawn said when the bottle had gone around- "To Veronica Wasboyski, Cora the waitress and their stylis'," he nodded to Topanga, " and arical editor" he shook Minkus's hand and took another pull. The bottle went back around.
They sat in silence for a little while, before Minkus said "Yeah, I've been tryin' to think of something that's happened to me or a rumor I've heard or something, but there's just nothing that tops that story."
"I know. Ye' another reason I never tell it. It is so powerful."
"You guys?" Cory ventured, "I'm drunk."
They all laughed and Topanga climbed to her feet, "Raahhhxaaanee!" She cried.
"You don't have to put on that red light!" Cory and Minkus replied.
They stood with varying degrees of success, and all singing, they danced around the beach, Topanga twirling between the three boys. The dance moved into the water and quickly became a splashing and dunking fight finally subsiding when Cory fell face first into the water and didn't pop back up quickly enough for comfort. He was coughing and sputtering when Shawn pulled him out and it was decided that they should all go back to camp and get the fire going again to dry out.
"I'll lead the way back?" Topanga smiled at Shawn who stuck his tongue out at her. The walk back seemed shorter than that walk there despite the fact that none of the four were walking as quickly, steadily or reliably as they had been on the way to the pond.
"I'monna get pneumonia," Cory complained woozily as Shawn and Topanga set him down by the fire. The last shot of rum had hit him pretty hard. The embers were still going and they had enough kindling in the tent to get the flames back up with in half an hour.
"Shawn, han' me one o' the marshellamo sticks would ya?" Topanga asked. Shawn passed one over. She peeled her soaking gauzy green tunic off herself draped it over the stick and then being very careful to keep it high above the flames, held it above the fire to dry out.
"Tomanga, ya look like some ancient fire goddess," Shawn said. And she did, Cory and Minkus thought. Her skin was luminous with a bronze-orange color as she stood there in her forest green bra and her water logged jeans hanging low on her hips. Her hair, which hung down to her waist in it's normal curls was nearly to her knees now that it was straight. None of them had seen her hair straight.
"Shawn, you jus' called me Tomanga," She laughed, "Have some water."
"If you say so," Shawn sighed, "You take such goo' care o' me. Minkus, gimme the water bottle?"
Minkus handed it over and Shawn drank deeply from it and passed it to Cory.
"Cor? Do you want me to dry out your shirt for you?" Shawn asked peeling off his own.
Cory looked at Topanga, who shook her head just a little, "No thas okay. I'll jus se' it by the fire," he tried to struggle out of his shirt, but couldn't get it off. The other three giggled at him.
"Cory, did you bring a change of clothes for tomorrow?" Shawn asked.
"Yep" Cory said.
"Do you think you can get into them yourself?" Topanga asked.
Cory laughed, "Umm.. prolly. yeah"
Shawn set his shirt by the fire and went to retrieve Cory's clothes from the tent, "Let's get inna these away from the fire bud."
With help from Shawn, Cory got into his dry clothes and set his wet one's by the fire. Minkus had also brought dry clothes, but got changed without assistance.
"I think Drew Ainsel was probally my bes' high school relationship," Topanga said out of nowhere, watching her shirt, "He was a good guy."
"I always thought you an' Jeff er cute persnully," Shawn commented, "My bes' relationship was Rachel Harper. She was really grea'. Wish she hadna moved."
Minkus sighed, "Well. My only girlfrien' was Becca Cortez, so she was prolly the best."
"You know wha?" Cory said drunkenly from where he was laying on the ground, "I shou' say Missy Rosin-Robinon- Ro-
"Missy Robinson," Shawn supplied.
"Yeah, her. But I really wish I'd go'en to give Lauren fromma ski trip a chance. We 'ad a good time."
"Yeah," Shawn agreed, "You liked her. Too ba' she lived so far way."
Topanga took her shirt away from the fire, felt it, slid it off the stick and pulled it back on. Then she unzipped her pants, struggled out of them and stood by the fire holding them out in front of her. Shawn followed suit.
"So what are you guys looking forward to about college?"
"Moving the hell out," Minkus responded immediately.
"Everything," Topanga said, "New people new environ-envro- new place. A dorm, a roommate. New teachers. A challenge"
"Yeah," Shawn said, "I'm lookin' forward to being able to concentrate on one subject instead of doin' everything."
"Wer goin' ta Pennbrooke," Cory offered in a sing-song voice from the ground.
Topanga, Minkus, and Shawn all laughed.
"Cor?" Topanga said, "You should drink some more water, sweet-heart."
Minkus helped Cory sit up and handed him the water bottle. He really didn't spill that much on himself.
They glided through some of the same old topics of conversation for another half hour or so while Topanga and Shawn's pants dried. Finally they both decided that their pants were as dry as they were going to get, slid back into them and sat down. Shawn threw one arm around Topanga and the other around Cory and Minkus pulled up to Topanga's other side. They stared into the fire.
"I'm gonna miss you guys," Shawn announced, "I love you guys."
"Shawnie, I can't feel my face," Cory giggled poking himself in the cheek, "Shou' I be worried?"
Shawn leaned over and kissed him on the cheek then pulled back and laughed when Cory wiped his hand across his cheek, "Hey! I haven' had enough rum for tha' kinda thing Shawn Hunner'."
"I have," Topanga said in a fake suggestive tone and then laughed. Shawn raised an eyebrow at her, and then without saying anything leaned across her and kissed her full on the lips. Minkus and Cory both laughed (Cory continuing to feel his own face as he did). But the kiss kept going and both got uncomfortable until finally Topanga and Shawn pulled apart, laughed, and Shawn kissed her quickly on the forehead.
"Minkus!" Shawn said leaning toward him.
"No," Minkus refused.
"Minkus!" Shawn repeated.
"Fine, this once, 'cause we're drunk and we're leavin' soon," Minkus gave in and leaned across Topanga just slightly. Shawn kissed him on the forehead.
"I love you guys," Shawn repeated. They all scooted a little closer to the fire and each other and watched the logs burning until finally Cory's head drooped onto Shawn's shoulder and Topanga asked if anyone else was falling asleep.
They put out the fire and unrolled the sleeping bags into the tent. Minkus and Shawn carried Cory into the tent and laid him down on his sleeping bag on the far right side where he fell asleep right away, Minkus took the spot on Topanga's right and Shawn laid down on her left.
"Goodnight boys," Topanga sighed.
"Goodnight, Topanga," Minkus replied.
"Goodnight, Topanga," Shawn echoed, and Minkus noted, as if the kiss hadn't been enough, Shawn's arm was lying across Topanga's stomach. Minkus rolled over so he wouldn't be facing them, and reminding himself that in a week, this would all be different, drifted off to sleep.